Deep in the jungle, sunlight was sliced into pieces by the dense branches and leaves, casting mottled, dappled shadows across the ground.
Ye Shuli followed closely behind Jiang Ye, her eyes scanning the surrounding environment with vigilance the entire way.
She couldn't help muttering inwardly: Is this kid trying to sell me off?
Out here in the middle of nowhere, there wasn't even a ghost in sight.
Jiang Ye seemed to sense her unease. He turned his head and flashed a grin, "Don't worry, Sister Li. Your big brother isn't going to sell you—at most, I'd just pawn you."
Ye Shuli rolled her eyes. "Heh, you'd better not try any funny business with me, kid."
"Cross my heart, I'm an innocent and kind-hearted young man." Jiang Ye put on an utterly sincere expression, then lowered his voice and added mysteriously, "I'm telling you, this place used to be the residence of a major bigwig—rumored to be a Spirit Venerable tier, no less! Impressive, right?"
Ye Shuli raised an eyebrow, her interest piqued. "A Spirit Venerable? Doesn't that mean there are treasures everywhere?"
"In theory, yes," Jiang Ye stroked his chin, putting on a profound air. "However, the residences of bigwigs like this usually come with a few little traps and mechanisms, you know how it is."
"Traps and mechanisms?" Ye Shuli's heart skipped a beat. "You didn't lead me straight into a den of thieves, did you?"
Jiang Ye chuckled. "Sister Li, your imagination is way too wild. Don't worry, with me here, I guarantee you'll leave without a single hair out of place." As he spoke, he pulled a bizarre-looking Compass from his tunic. "This is my family's heirloom, specially designed for detecting danger."
Ye Shuli looked at the Compass, and the more she stared at it, the more it looked like cheap junk bought off a street stall.
Still, for now, she had no choice but to trust him.
"Let's get moving, then." Jiang Ye put away the Compass and continued forward.
The two walked for another stretch. The surrounding trees grew taller and thicker, and the air grew increasingly humid.
Ye Shuli felt a growing sense of unease, as if something was watching them from the shadows.
"Wait." Ye Shuli suddenly stopped in her tracks, her sharp gaze sweeping the surroundings. "I have a bad feeling about this."
Jiang Ye stopped as well, his expression turning serious. "What is it?"
Ye Shuli shook her head. "I can't quite put my finger on it, just a feeling..."
Jiang Ye looked around and said in a low voice, "Be careful. Stay close to me."
They pressed on, taking every step with extreme caution.
Suddenly, Jiang Ye grabbed Ye Shuli by the arm and whispered, "Shh, don't make a sound." He pointed ahead. Ye Shuli followed his finger and saw that not far away, something was faintly glittering on the ground...
"What is that?" Ye Shuli asked in a low voice.
Jiang Ye narrowed his eyes, observing closely for a moment, and his expression shifted slightly. "Not good..."
"Oh no, it's a trap!" Before Jiang Ye could finish speaking, the ground beneath their feet instantly collapsed, revealing a pitch-black pit right before their eyes.
Quick as lightning, Jiang Ye grabbed Ye Shuli's arm, trying to pull her back up.
However, Ye Shuli was no delicate, fragile flower.
In a flash of light, she shifted her center of gravity downward and planted her feet firmly, using her knowledge of modern physics to stabilize herself.
Not only that, she grabbed Jiang Ye by the reverse-grip and yanked him back up just as he was about to fall in.
"Holy crap! Sister Li, you're full of hidden depths!" Jiang Ye stared in utter shock, as if he had just discovered a new continent.
Ye Shuli dusted off her hands, wearing an expression that practically screamed *just routine operation, nothing to get excited about*. "Calm down, your big brother here has all kinds of special skills."
Having just returned from the gates of hell, the two hadn't even had a chance to catch their breath when a rustling sound echoed from all directions.
Immediately afterward, a swarm of strange-looking creatures burst from the thicket, surrounding them completely.
These creatures were small, resembling oversized squirrels, but their eyes flashed with a fierce light and their sharp claws gleamed coldly in the sunlight.
"What the heck are those things?" Ye Shuli frowned. These critters looked rather creepy.
"They're spirit beasts that guard this place—Gale Rats," Jiang Ye said with a heavy expression. "Their tier isn't high, but there are a lot of them, and they're extremely fast."
Ye Shuli chuckled softly. "That's it? And here I thought it was some kind of terrifying flood-dragon or savage beast. You didn't think I'd be scared of these little things, did you?"
Jiang Ye was just about to tell her to be careful when he saw the corners of Ye Shuli's mouth curl into a sly smile, her gaze sweeping over the surrounding tree branches and vines...
"Come on out, little darlings, let big sister teach you how to behave like proper rats!"
The spirit beasts squeaked and screeched wildly, rushing forward like a tidal wave.
Ye Shuli was not one to be trifled with. A corner of her mouth ticked up into a *is that all?* expression.
Quick as lightning, she snapped off a nearby vine and whipped up a makeshift snare trap in the blink of an eye, her dexterity rivaling Robinson Crusoe reborn.
"Sister Li, you're a beast!" Jiang Ye watched with dropped jaw; this move was simply too flashy!
"Basic operations, don't make a fuss." Ye Shuli calmly tossed her hair, then gave the vine a sharp yank. The front-running Gale Rats were instantly snared, squealing at the top of their lungs just like clueless internet trolls caught in a net.
Seizing the opportunity, Jiang Ye channeled Spiritual Power into his hands and fired off a flurry of Spiritual Power Light Waves that hit their targets dead-on!
Several Gale Rats were instantly slaughtered on the spot.
"Awesome!" Ye Shuli cheered wildly from the sidelines. "As expected of the little lackey I raised, you've got a bright future!"
Seeing this, the remaining Gale Rats didn't retreat; instead, they charged forward even more fiercely.
Ye Shuli's eyes rolled as a plan formed in her mind.
She tore down more vines, darting rapidly through the woods to weave a giant "spider web."
"Little darlings, come play hide-and-seek!" Ye Shuli smiled wickedly, looking exactly like a big bad wolf luring a little white rabbit.
How could the Gale Rats know what kind of trick this was? They plunged headfirst into the "spider web," instantly getting tangled so tightly they couldn't move an inch—looking for all the world like single folks being badgered about marriage by their relatives during the Lunar New Year.
Seeing this, Jiang Ye unleashed his Spiritual Power once more, picking off the trapped Gale Rats one by one.
The battle over, the two high-fived to celebrate their victory.
"Sister Li, you're amazing!" Jiang Ye looked at her in adoration, stars gleaming in his eyes.
"Average, average, third best in the world." Ye Shuli waved her hand modestly, while secretly gloating inside: My modern knowledge is no joke!
However, just as the two let down their guard, Jiang Ye accidentally stepped on a sharp rock, his foot slipped, and he nearly fell over.
Ye Shuli acted with lightning speed and reached out to steady him.
"Be careful, you silly boy," Ye Shuli asked with concern. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine, just scraped my skin a bit," Jiang Ye smiled and shook his head, though his gaze remained fixed intently on Ye Shuli's hand.
Only then did Ye Shuli realize that her hand was still tightly grasping Jiang Ye's.
Her cheeks flushed slightly, and she tried to pull her hand back, but Jiang Ye grabbed it instead.
"Sister Li..." Jiang Ye looked at her tenderly, a trace of unnoticeable slyness flickering in his eyes.
Ye Shuli's heart raced, and she felt the atmosphere grow somewhat delicate.
Right at that moment, she suddenly felt a faint tremor beneath her feet...
"Wait," Ye Shuli abruptly raised her head and looked around. "Something doesn't feel right..." The earth began to tremble, and the surrounding trees swayed even more violently.
Ye Shuli and Jiang Ye exchanged glances, both seeing shock and a trace of fear in each other's eyes.
Before they could react, the ground suddenly split open with a massive fissure, and a thick stone pillar—churning up dust and fallen leaves like a sleeping giant awakening—came crashing down toward them with unstoppable, devastating force!
"Holy crap! They're playing for keeps?!" Ye Shuli cried out in alarm. This trap was way too vicious; it was practically designed to take their lives!
"Sister Li, run!" Jiang Ye yelled, grabbing Ye Shuli and dodging to the side.
"Run? Run where?! That thing is thicker than my leg!" Ye Shuli grumbled as she ran for her life right alongside Jiang Ye.
"This way!" Jiang Ye had sharp eyes and spotted a huge boulder next to the stone pillar that could provide temporary cover.
Putting all their strength into it, the two finally managed to dive behind the boulder just as the stone pillar smashed down.
With a thunderous *BOOM*, the stone pillar slammed heavily into the ground, sending a sky-full of dust billowing into the air.
Hiding behind the boulder, Ye Shuli and Jiang Ye were left shaken to their cores.
"Gosh, that was way too thrilling!" Ye Shuli patted her chest, feeling as though her little heart was about to leap right out of her throat.
"Sister Li, are you alright?" Jiang Ye asked with concern.
"I'm fine, won't die yet," Ye Shuli waved a hand. "Still, this place is way too dangerous. We need to get out of here right now!"
Jiang Ye nodded and started to stand up, but his expression suddenly shifted, and he shoved Ye Shuli flat onto the ground...
"Watch out!"